Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-05-14
THE DUTCH GAP CANAL.

union of the Sixth Massachusetts.
After song by the quartet, Col. Jones
asked Gen. Butler to give his old comrades
q history Of the Dutch Gap canal. The
general complied, and his explanation,
never before made, was listened to with
intense interest by all. He said: "The
army Of the James lay on Sept. ID, 1864,
along the outer lines of Richmond, occu.
plying q portion of the line of the main
army under Grant. We could not adj
vance, because the enemy had control OF
James river, and II the army passed in
the rear of the forts the Confederate iron
clads would have every advantage of at.
lacking them In the rear. French creek
makes detour of seven miles and returns
again to point where it is only 435 feet
from water to water, and this is q blud
sixty feet high. had consultation with
Gen. Grant and his chief engineer. said
IL we could get our ironclads to drive the
enemy's fleet up the river the army could
follow, but as the river was hut seven
feet deep around this seven mile detour,
and the ironclads drew fifteen or sixteen
feet, it was not possible to get them
around then suggested the cut which
was known as Dutch Gap; If it were made
we could get twenty-ono feet OF water
above and below the bend. Gen. Grant
agreed, and gave me the services OF his
engineer. So, while one Of Buffers fail.
ures, it was not one of his misjudgments,
as 1t was ordered by Grant.
1.-THE work was at once begun, and on
Christmas day of 1864 1t was completed,
except about twenty-five feet, which
formed bulkhead between the water on
either side During the process Of exca.
vation the enemy threw at least &c, 0OC
shells at MS. The canal was to be ninety
feet across the bottom and an average
depth Of twenty-five feet. During the
digging I had d hole made in the bank
and two men stationed on the bluffs above,
and when q mortar shell would rise from
the eneTay's fleet they would shout
'Shell!' and all would run for the holes
and remain until the shell exploded.
There was one mule killed, believe, and
an army wagon destroyed, and that was
about all the damage done. had an en-
thusiastic supporter in my work in the
person of Admiral Melancthon Smith, who
commanded the Union ironclads, but he
was removed to another sphere of useful
ness just prior to the opening of the canal.
Having properly mined the bulkhead, on
Dec % I blew it up, and in twenty.
four hours there were three feet of water
running through the gap. In twcnty-foul
hours more, by dredging, could have rur
IN ironclad through. At that hour ]
stopped work, and the country and press
rang with the report of Buffers failure al
Dutch Gap canal couldn't tell then,
but can tell now. After ! opened the
hole the man who succeeded Admiral
Smith wrote me q letter, in which he
said: For Gods sake don't let the rebel.
lion ironclads down upon u.s. Ihaye got
that letter. / am not In the habit OF de
stroying documents. But what could !
doS couldn't say then that our feet
was afraid of the enemy. What would
have been said of me If had done SO?
sBut let me say that on Jan. 8,
! 1865, the enemy's ironclads came out Of
French creek when the water was high,
and drove our ironclads SO fast that they
didn't wait even to open the draw in the
pontoon bridges, but crashed through
them, and they, in my judgment, wouldn't
have stopped until they reached Fortress
Monroe but for the fact that one of tn
enemys vessels got ashore and the rest OF
the. feet was delayed SO long In assisting
her that the water began to fall, and they
returned unharmed. As for that naval
officer, whose name won't give you, but
you can read it In the history OF the coun-
try, he was court martialed, found guilty
of cowardice, and ordered to be dismissed
from the service. The order would have
been carried out, but it never was ap
proved by the secretary of the navy. Now,
let me say that Dutch Gap Is the only way
to get to Richmond by the James river.
French creek has grown up with grass.
1t is the only nook that has ever been Of
any earthly use to humanity, and to-day
is q benefit to navigation Of the James.
Boston Globe.